Opinions on Guys in VNs Aimed at Guys

[Lambda]

So, people may have been noticing I've been spreading the Shuugen love in Ayakashibito right now, so I figured hey why not ask this question:

 

Have you ever read a visual novel and just thought: Man this guy is cool I like him a looot, to the point of liking him more than the heroines, or even just liking him more than half the heroines?

 

(He doesn't need to be the protagonist; I'm not gonna judge your taste if you prefer Gasai to Akihito, really.)

 

Follow-up/alternate question: has a male character ever made your entire experience in a route? Like, without that guy the route would be kinda lame? Certainly, there are a great number of factors that make a route great, but the test to this is just taking the character out by themselves and asking yourself whether the route/game would be substantially worse. The protagonist doesn't count here for obvious reasons.

 

If the above two questions are Hard Mode for you: What's your favourite guy in a VN? (Once again, not judging taste if you don't choose the protagonist, also not judging taste if you choose a protagonist though)

[Mephisto]

Most good VNs have a strong male cast, so I don't think it's particularly uncommon to like a male character more than the heroines. In some games, like the Grisaia trilogy, the entire game is about Yuuji. Kazuki is pretty baller too though. 

[Decay]

Yuuji is the protagonist, though, and this isn't about male protagonists but male side characters. Shuugen is definitely one of the coolest male side characters I've seen in a VN, maybe the best one. He's pretty awesome.

[Rose]

Yuuji from Grisaia is a really great one, I don't think I've seen anyone dislike him. For some reason, I really loved Sakuraba from Cross Channel, and he's probably the character who gets the least attention in the whole game. The male cast in many games is really awesome, so it's pretty common to have male characters getting as much or even more love than the heroines. 

 

Ayakashibito extremely light spoilers, just naming some of the "stars" of each route

Shuugen in Touko's route, Vladimir in Tonya's and Kotarou in Kaoru's and Kuki in every route were some of the strongest points of Ayakashibito. 

[Clephas]

Narita Shinri in Hello, Lady

[Ceris]

I liked the protagonist of Rewrite more than the heroines, and I loved the heroines, Kotarou was just too awesome.

[Eclipsed]

Sorry, that title is a bit ambiguous to me xD. Do you mean:

1) you want a male's opinion on male VN characters? 
2) you want a male's opinion on VNs aimed at males?
3) you want a male's opinion on male characters on VNs aimed at males?
4) you want someone's opinion on (repeat 1-3)?

~~~
I think 1 or 4(1) sounds about right so I'll answer that. Yeah, there have been male characters that I've liked and said were cool. But I don't think I will ever like them more than the heroines hehe. The heroines are the reason I'm in the VN buziness  B) 

~~~
When it comes to male protagonists (don't really have any non-protagonist males that I like from the VNs I've read), the ones I found myself actively rooting for include:

1) Grisaia's Kazami Yuuji: the guy's the definition of a badass protagonist. Not to mention he has the best inner monologues.

2) Rewrite's Tennouji Kotarou: he starts off as a typical goofball, but in the latter half when things get serious he becomes quite serious as well. The Kotarou in Moon/Terra is nothing like the Kotarou in the common route. No more fun and games~

3) G-Senjou's Azai Kyousuke: this guy's morals are pretty twisted since he grew up as the son of a yakuza boss. Just watching him try to live an everyday life with his friends while also having to deal with his dirty work in the underworld along with pursuing 'Maou' is an interesting dynamic. (Though, I absolutely HATE his character if you go for the bad endings of the heroines. It's like despite everything he went through he just goes "screw everything I'm going to the darkside"!!! And I'll never forgive what he does to Mizuha.)

Edit: Meaning as much as I like Yuuji I'm never going to go "OMG YUUJIIII <333" the same way I go "OMG SACHIIIII <333" or something. xD

 

~~~
But I guess from this you could say that I like male characters with interesting backgrounds and a good personality, as generic as I just made that sound xD. They should also be capable; that is be able to do things by themselves and also think for themselves. (Looking at you, Takumi from Chaos;Head. You pissed me off sooo much with your patheticness!!!)

I can't answer your other question about the male character not being in the story, since all the male characters I like are protagonists xD.

[nohman]

For supporting characters, the male cast in Majikoi are petty notable I feel.They are presented in a way that really captures the feeling of comradery that the game goes for.

There's also...

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLHs21N2vic

[BookwormOtaku]

To answer the first question, sort of though I'd say it's more I've encountered male side characters I've liked just as much as the heroines. Best example off the top of my head is Edgeworth from the Phoenix Wright games and Mirror during the Heaven/Sky Saga of Cho Dengeki Stryker

 

To kind of answer your second question, I'd say Kyonyuu Fantasy's true route wouldn't be near as awesome without Martel's character development arc and it builds off well from there into the sequels.

Also while they're unnamed Kyonyuu Fantasy 2 wouldn't be as good without the gnolls.

 

On a side note, can we count Phoenix Wright during Apollo Justice since he wasn't the main character in that game?

[Clephas]

Kuki from Ayakashibito is another that comes to mind... 

 

[InvertMouse]

 

Only joking . But I must say I have never come across a guy/protagonist who really stood out in a VN~

[Vokoca]

Kaito from Akatsuki no Goei was so incredibly badass that he made the entire series for me. In fact, there are some moments where he's arguably too badass-- didn't stop me from enjoying it, though!

 

Hearing him voiced was also about the only reason why I played Reminiscence.

[Monmon]

Hm for protag i think i`ll pick Kurou from Demonbane...he is just epic yet funny at the same time.and whats plues he is an Asian in the Western setting vns..i`m serious btw.

I really want protag like him in other vns, since i wont get bored.

 

and for Side char i`ll pick Master Therion from Demonbane again....he is my fav villain all the time.

and another https://vndb.org/c8425 why? just because...

[Ezeefreak]

For the protagonist: If I don't like him, the VN will not satisfy me. I need a really likeable character there, even better if I can empathize with him and see something of me in him. But he does not be too present or strong (*cough* Yuuji). But the opposite it also bad, if he has a soulless shell (the protag in Canvas 2 for example). My favourites are Hisao (katawa Shoujo), Aoi (KonoSora) and Riki (LB!).Also every route should not be only about the heroine. A developement of the protagonist is very important.

 

To the male side characters, I think the most I've seen are nice and likeable but not to obtrusive. And thats the right mixture for me. You should enjoy their presence but not be to distracted from the heroines. Majikoi and LB! are very good at that, I think.

[TexasDice]

Have you ever read a visual novel and just thought: Man this guy is cool I like him a looot, to the point of liking him more than the heroines, or even just liking him more than half the heroines?

 

... Like, without that guy the route would be kinda lame?  

No, I haven't experienced either situation.

All great male characters so far, were implemented in already great stories, so they just improve an already great thing even further. Like the male members of the Little Busters; I love all of them just as much as I love the girls and therefore can't place one over the other.

 

 

Follow-up/alternate question: has a male character ever made your entire experience in a route? 

Yes, Mr. Mary-Sue damaged Chihaya's route beyond any chance of repair. Everytime he did something, I just wanted to punch the screen. 

[Chronopolis]

Deep characters aren't that common in VN's, and the pool is smaller for male characters. I guess it turns out to be the MC a lot.

For sure Minato Kageaki from Muramasa. He is open-minded when assessing others, very humble in his speech, incredible demanding of himself morally and against the law. He's got a vast pool of trivia and domain knowledge for a man in his late 20's, meaning he can (attempt to) small talk with any almost anyone. And he likes big butts. And doesn't deny it.

I wouldn't have made it through all Muramasa's long fight scenes and eccentrics characters if I didn't have his constant train of thought reaction all the way through.

There's Caim from Eustia. He's got lots of snark, but sometimes its very resigned snark, the kind you get from being bashed around and been through a form of hell. He tries get them to act in a way that seems obviously right based on his experiences and values, but those change as he does, and the solid existence of 'right' starts to crumble away under his feet.

Oh right and Okabe Rintarou from Stein's Gate. It's been so long, but I know I loved the parts where he would speak with bravado but at the same time he'd be quivering or contemplating or scorning himself inside.

All three of Kageaki, Caim, and Okabe are voiced, and while they both were sufficiently deep characters aside, I think places where they really benifited from the voice was for expression emotion. Voiced characters definitely have the advantage when it comes to shouts of desperation or gasps of utter bewilderment. Also, having a voice emphasizes the following thought in cases when the MC speaks a line, and then immediately has a thought about it after.

Kageaki and Okabe were the strongest characters in their stories and indispensable. Caim, rather than him being the strongest character, the interaction between him and the main heriones was the most captivating thing ever. Though, beneath the shiny stuff, a lot of the story 'belongs' to him, so it is hard to think of the novel without him.

There's also minor characters like Ryu (the MC Subaru's dad) in Asuseka. In a game where the MC is deeply rooted in his friends, and equally so his family and neighbours, Ryu is makes you feel lucky to have him as a dad, and makes you want to succeed for him.

Kanda Kosuke from Futekikakusha, I just like his voice.

[Pabloc]

I usually don't care about male characters too much. They are... well, male after all.

 

Notable exceptions include pretty much all Nitro+ VNs - those are pretty much filled with ultimately awesome guys. This includes Kurou, Dr West, Master Therion and Sandalphon from Demonbae (Sandalphon completely overshadowed Leica in her route), Akane and Igarasu from Hanachirasu, Taoluo Kong from Kikokugai, and of course my favorite (male) psychopath of all time - Fuminori. Honorable mention goes to Shiki, although Togainu no Chi sure as hell isn't a VN aimed at guys.

 

There's also Hozuki from Sharin no Kuni - along with the protagonist they completely overshadowed the rest of the cast (which isn't an entirely good thing really...).

Oh, and I can't believe nobody mentioned Kotomine (F/SN) yet.

 

And well, there's this guy, too:

[XD forever]

Here is my answer at your questions:

1)In my opinion I don't find unusual in many visual novel like a male character at the same level of the novel heroines (for example Kuki badass Sensei in Ayakashibito)

 

2)About your second question I will answer that the presence  of a male character sometime save my experience in a route (for example Kaoru route in Ayakashibito) but usually I prefer to be the route heroine the core of the route and not another character

 

3)Kuki Sensei just because he is too badass 

 

PS:yes,I'm a little focus on Ayakashibito in this period!XD

[Nerathim]

I'm GAR for Gasai, he totally saved Benio's route in Comyu (a-ma-zing) and he added even more quality to the almost perfect Kagome route.

I can say the same thing for Ayakashibito, but in that case Kuki saved most of the VN, not that I find it to be bad otherwise but given that it is a chuuni VN, something would clearly be missing without him, Ten, Chuu and the rest of Dominion are not charismatic or interesting enough to play the role of antagonist. (Kaoru's route would have totally sucked without Kuki to cleans up that mess with his badassery)

Kotomine Kirei also saved Heaven's Feel in FSN, I hate Sakura (and her dubbing) and while the route itself was really good I found it to be really lacking, character-wise. Thankfully Kirei was here.

 

It's sad to see that male characters are more more often interesting that female's ones in VN, a lot less hackneyed, a lot more depth or better personnality at all. It's possible to write girls who stand out but in VNs and animes the problem of the otaku-pandering remains, japaneses fictions got one of the worst public ever seen and often "need" (there is no need in fact, but if they want to sell their work, they must do it) to make sacrifices and because of that a lot of females share the same stereotyped characteristics or aren't nuanced at all (TV drama's problems do not counts, I look at you Key, using the same methods over and over isn't something to boast about) because their goal is to stuck to the protagonist and to end in his bed. There are exceptions like 07th Expansion's VN where the characters are really credible for example and where females are CAPABLE beings who can do more than just expose their problems to the protagonist and whine until the end of their routes to got their problems resolved by him.

[Kosakyun]

There are just too many awesome guys in VNs for me.

 

An example would be Kyouhei from G-Senjou no Maou.

Yeah. He was pretty awesome. Even if he was the protagonist. I really liked how he planned everything, and ultimately succeeded in his revenge in the end. 

 

Another one would be, indeed, Kirei from F/SN.

GODDAMNED ORGASM EVERY TIME HE GOES "Emiya Shirou."

Dundundun!

 

There are just a lot, and it's tiring to write everyone.

We should all know that though.

 

Shuugen is definitely up there.

[edwd2]

Most of the Majikoi cast are likeable and quite unique

A in Shiei no sona nyl, nice support since we have a female protagonist, didnt like the dude in shikkoku

Takeya in White Album 2 CC, awesome and decisive, unlike the naive highschoolbrained protagonist

Lucius in Aiyoku no Eustia, self explanatory,

Little busters also has a nice set of support, once again, the protag is shit so the rest are much more appealing

The blue hair in gekkou no carneval, decent antagonist though he doesnt get much screen time

Oslo in grisaia no meikyuu (rakuen not so much) for crossdressing yuuji lol

Gasai in comyu, again, more interesting than the protagonist

The red hair from dark blue, spoilers if i say what he did

won't mention all the gar in dies irae, imo too lame

[sirjabberwock]

 

There are just too many awesome guys in VNs for me.

 

An example would be Kyouhei from G-Senjou no Maou.

Yeah. He was pretty awesome. Even if he was the protagonist. I really liked how he planned everything, and ultimately succeeded in his revenge in the end. 

That spoiler could mislead people who haven't read G-Senjou

antagonist*

[Ariurotl]

People actually like Yuuji? Huh.

 

Anyway, I didn't see anyone nominate Suginami from DC (DCII in particular), he's great. Murakami from KIRAKIRA is another great character.

[Decay]

Suginami from DC2 was actually pretty entertaining. He was really boring in DC1. 

 

People like Yuuji because he's the stereotypical "badass". He's like reddit cool guy incarnate. He'd wear a fedora if he was tuned into american internet culture and post a lot about ladder theory. 

[Fiddle]

Kenji from Katawa Shoujo caused me to question my sexual orientation for the better. -_-